The Disciple’s Prayer Series

Journey With Jesus: The Daily Trek of Discipleship

The Disciple’s Prayer Life

Introduction

Sanders: “Prayer is an amazing paradox. It is a blending of simplicity and profundity. It can be an agony or an ecstasy. It can focus on a single objective, or it can roam the world. It is ‘the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try,’ and yet at these time is ‘the sublimest strains that reach the Majesty on high.’ Small wonder, then, that even Paul, spiritual giant though he was, had to confess: ‘We do not know what we ought to pray for.’”

A beautiful expression of the complexity and simplicity of prayer! Prayer is a large topic that we cannot cover completely. The disciples knew Jesus as a praying man and they knew that John had taught his disciples to pray. “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Today we want to focus in on the prayer life of the disciple.

1. GOD’S INTERESTS MUST COME FIRST

Too often our prayers are centered on our needs and desires.

When Jesus taught the dispels to pray, he said: Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:9-13)

The first half of the prayer is totally occupied with God and His interests. Only after that do we find personal petitions. Worship, praise, thanksgiving have first place!

2. THE DISCIPLE SHOULD PRAY AUDACIOUSLY

Sanders: “In light of the wide-ranging promises to the intercessor, it is surprising that our prayers are so tepid. They seldom soar above past experience of natural thought. How seldom we pray for the unprecedented, lead alone the impossible!”

God delights to answer prayers that are based on his promises. Jesus encouraged His disciples to ask as freely for the impossible as the possible.

Matthew 17:20-21 “…For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Sanders: All difficulties are the same size to God!

3. DISCIPLES WILL SOMETIMES WRESTLE IN PRAYER

Colossians 4:12 NIV “Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”

It is from the Greek word for ‘wrestle’ that we derive our word agonize. It is used in the NT of toiling until weary; the athlete on the track, straining every muscle and nerve; of the soldier battling for his very life.

4. THE DISCIPLE SHOULD PRAY WITH PERSISTENCE

Jesus told two parables about this.

The Three Friends (Luke 11:5-8, 13 CEV Suppose one of you goes to a friend in the middle of the night and says, “Let me borrow three loaves of bread. 6 A friend of mine has dropped in, and I don't have a thing for him to eat.” 7 And suppose your friend answers, “Don't bother me! The door is bolted, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you something.” 8 He may not get up and give you the bread, just because you are his friend. But he will get up and give you as much as you need, simply because you are not ashamed to keep on asking. 9 So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you…. As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.”

The Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8 CEV Jesus told his disciples a story about how they should keep on praying and never give up: 2 In a town there was once a judge who didn't fear God or care about people. 3 In that same

town there was a widow who kept going to the judge and saying, “Make sure that I get fair treatment in court.” 4 For a while the judge refused to do anything. Finally, he said to himself, “Even though I don't fear God or care about people, 5 I will help this widow because she keeps on bothering me. If I don't help her, she will wear me out.” 6 The Lord said: Think about what that crooked judge said. 7  Won't God protect his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? Won't he be concerned for them? 8 He will surely hurry and help them. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find on this earth anyone with faith?)